CAPTAIN AMERICA versus PROFESSOR POWER

Power Struggle (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #338 When: February 1988
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
Confronted with an ultimatum from the United States Government: Steve Rogers chooses to walk away from the shield & stripes of Captain America rather than re-enlist.

Having determined the mantle is intellectual property of the government: The Commission of Superhuman Activities installs former rival John "Super-Patriot" Walker as a new Captain America!

Fighting alongside his own Bucky the new Cap battles right-wing militant group The Watchdogs in his first successful missions. Now he takes on his first super-human threat as The Commission deploys the duo to take down wealthy scientist turned terrorist Professor Power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor Power 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Professor Power 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Professor Power 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 2 (Average)
Fighting: Captain America 4 (Trained)
Energy: Professor Power 5 (Lasers)
Total: Professor Power 26 (Metahuman)

John Walker is still relatively early in his career as Captain America and today's battle represents his first serious test against a super-villain!

He and partner Lemar "Bucky" Hoskins have already fought through droves of costumed Roman Centurions, Mandroid-style robots, and the giant-size henchman known as Leviathan. All that waits is their primary target: Professor Power!

Anthony Power grew disillusioned with modern America when his son Matthew returned catatonic from the Vietnam war. He used his considerable fortune to establish a scientific think tank, and a Roman inspired private army intent on carrying out terrorist plots to provoke America to strength and greatness.

At his most extreme Anthony Power seized control of The Secret Empire and attempted to start a nuclear war with Russia. He was thwarted by The Defenders and subsequently re-engaged in a private vendetta against his best known adversary: Charles Xavier and his X-Men.

Power's hatred was first inspired when he attempted to force the mutant telepath to restore his son's broken psyche -- inadvertently causing its destruction!

The grieving father eventually had his mind transferred into his son's healthy body, which he outfitted with a powerful battle suit that allows him to fly, fire an energy beam from his hand, and greatly enhances his strength & durability.

John Walker underwent the Power Broker's process to gain super-human strength and durability of his own. We saw him notably out muscle Steve Rogers later in his tenure as the new Cap [Captain America #350], and even compete with Wonder Man in a weight lifting contest in West Coast Avengers Annual #5!

The eventual USAgent is very strong, but would ordinarily struggle to match the might of Professor Power. Lucky for him he's catching Power in a weakened state after being psychically assaulted by Moondragon and having to escape SHIELD.

The Tape: Professor Power Ranking: John Walker (#144)

What Went Down...

Having spotted Professor Power being lowered into an escape rocket: the new Captain America and Bucky scramble to take out his army of Centurion guards and reach the vessel before it takes off!

With no time to spare: Captain America throws his mighty shield -- sending it careening towards the rocket's propulsion engine. It smashes into the rocket, sending it lurching from the launch rail and into a nearby wall!

Unnaturally powerful hands rip through the hot metal of the wreckage, uncovering an unconscious Professor Power.

Just as Captain America goes to check for vital signs -- the Professor stirs and summons enough energy to lift his hand and fire a concussive beam right at Captain America's mid-section!

The point blank blast is strong enough to knock John Walker back and ignite his "guts" with pain, but he quickly blocks the attack with his shield and returns fire with a super-human charging punch!

The devastating blow would've toppled any man, but in his poor condition Professor Power goes down easily. That isn't enough for John Walker, though!

In a rage Captain America mounts his floored opponent and begins raining down unrelenting blows! With every punch another frustration boils over!

When the new Bucky catches up with his partner it's already over.

Captain America stands solemnly over the body of Professor Power -- now in a pool of its own blood. The mission is over.

The Hammer...

On the surface it may seem like a victory, but the cracks are beginning to show, and even John Walker seems to recognize he's gone too far.

Bucky congratulates him on a successful mission, but Walker knows what he's done. Professor Power is dead. By using lethal force he has crossed a line that his predecessor never would've. The result may be good enough for their superiors in The Commission, but it isn't good enough for Captain America.

It's an interesting moment of introspection that forecasts, and perhaps allows for, John Walker's future redemption as USAgent. He isn't a completely irredeemable character operating as a self-appointed executioner. He is, however, a man with obvious character flaws, and a serious issue with losing control.

Walker goes even further off the rails by the time he faces off with Steve Rogers, already driven to lethal extremes after watching the murder of his parents by The Watchdogs, and being set upon by armed enemies. Its all part of an orchestrated campaign by the Red Skull to discredit Captain America by pushing the easily exploited John Walker over the edge. It's a pretty short trip.

The subject of lethal force in superhero comics is an interesting one, especially when the hero in question is a sanctioned soldier.

Usually we accept that soldiers may be required to kill through the course of their duties, but it's also true that there are rules of engagement, and soldiers cannot indiscriminately murder whomever they please. Principles of justice and humane treatment dictate international law, and superheroes take that restraint further.

Opinions vary as to whether or not it should be assumed Steve Rogers killed Nazi soldiers during the Second World War, but it's generally accepted that he stands for higher ideals. The ability to achieve his objectives without killing is what elevates the super-hero and super-soldier. The goal is preservation of life.

I'm reminded of What If...? (Vol.2) #51, which explored the ideals of Captain America through the prism of a reality where Frank Castle became the new Cap.

The veil of fiction often allows us to enjoy The Punisher with the presumption of some degree of moral impunity, but as many stories show, his judgement is not infallible. He's ultimately a violent psychotic whose methods inevitably lead to unjustified killing. His approach is an appealing power fantasy on the page, but in practise its a simplistic and deeply flawed way to view the world. Far below the aspirations that inform the super-hero archetype, and Captain America.

When John Walker killed Professor Power he violated basic principles of justice by giving in to base aggression, and using excessive force on an already subdued opponent who was little to no threat. Tantamount to an act of cowardice and the beginning of a proverbial slippery slope.

Comics being what they are: Walker was responsible for the death of Matthew Power's body -- but Professor Power lived on when his psyche returned to its original body. This allowed Professor Power to continue to appear in later stories such as the Spider-Man and X-Men crossover in Spectacular Spider-Man that I most associate the character with.

As noted in The Tape section: Anthony Power had his mind transferred into his son's strong, youthful body when Matthew's psyche was accidentally destroyed in a telepathic battle between Mentallo and Professor X. Xavier had been unable to help the shell-shocked soldier recover from his time in Vietnam. War is hell.

We've looked at some heavy themes in today's featured fight and we'll continue to explore John Walker's ill fated time as Captain America at a later date. If you'd like to get the drop on the story you can read the whole issue collected in Captain America: The Captain. By using Amazon links provided you'll get yourself a  good deal and ensure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

If you'd like to find more on any of the characters covered in today's battle be sure to follow links throughout this post. You can discover even more fun and games by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like superhero smackdown and want to keep this resources strong you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

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Winner: Captain America (w/ Bucky)
#80 (+64) USAgent (John Walker) [+1 kill]
#610 (new) Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins) [+1 assist]
#953 (new) Professor Power

SENTINEL A7 versus FALCON

Legion! (Marvel)
Where: Falcon #2 When: December 1983
Why: Jim Owsley How: Mark Bright

The Story So Far...
Some would say every day is just another battle for survival on the mean streets of Harlem -- but it becomes terrifyingly true when a casual stroll past an inner city landfill turns lethal for The Falcon!

A mutant-hunting Sentinel has been lying almost dormant beneath the garbage heap -- but its sensors have detected the high-flying winged avenger and deemed him a mutant.

Suddenly springing to life -- the evil machine has gigantic hands of death and a malfunctioning program that wants to put the squeeze on Falcon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sentinel A7 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Falcon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Falcon 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sentinel A7 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Falcon 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Falcon 4 (Trained)
Energy: Sentinel A7 5 (Lasers)
Total: Sentinel A7 24 (Champion)

Sentinels have long been a scourge of mutantkind, but occasionally their hateful programming has been directed at other opponents as well.

Sentinel A7 was consigned to the scrap heap after it was blasted to oblivion by Cyclops in X-Men #98. It looks as if its been able to auto-repair the gaping cavity in its chest, but are its circuits and programming still fully functioning?

The malicious machine has identified The Falcon as a mutant target.

To this point Sam Wilson had never been considered by those terms. His wing suit was designed by the Black Panther, while his keen senses and rapport with birds came courtesy of a cosmic cube controlled by the Red Skull.

Is it possible the Red Skull merely unlocked latent mutant powers?

That's one explanation for the mental link he shares with Redwing and other birds. It also might support some of the daring aerial feats he's performed over the years, which would put considerable strain on his body.

He was able to torpedo Pyro and endure Avalanche's vibrational blasts when The Avengers battled Freedom Force in Avengers #312. His flying fists also caused trouble for Baron Zemo in Thunderbolts #105. He showed the indomitable will of a super-soldier whilst battling Batroc The Leaper in All-New Captain America #1.

All of this goes to show Falcon will never go down without a fight, but it also reminds us he's best equipped to take on human threats. Sentinels aren't a world away from Hydra super-weapons, but can he win alone? Let's find out...

The Tape: Sentinel A7 Ranking: Sentinel A7 (#600)

What Went Down...

An empty street erupts with violence when a damaged Sentinel suddenly springs to life from beneath the trash heap of an inner-city garbage dump!

The sleeping giant's trigger is Falcon -- who just happened to be strolling through the neighbourhood when the machine identified him as a mutant.

The earthbound hero leans away from the sudden danger exploding out of the dump, but is never the less completely caught by surprise in the ambush!

Falcon can do nothing to escape the gigantic purple fist clasping around him!

The metal hand envelopes him almost completely -- pinning his wings to the sides of his body! The machine coldly observes its prize and speaks declaratively: "Resistance is useless!".

The machine was correct. With its free hand the human-shaped robot blasts Falcon in the face with a concentrated dose of powerful knock-out gas.

Sentinel A7 transmits a report that The Falcon has been successfully neutralized and sets a course for home base. Its programming never once detects that there is no one there to receive.

The Hammer...

We came to see if Falcon could stop the scourge of an out-of-control Sentinel, but all we got was a dirty sneak attack! The winged avenger never really got a chance to fight -- caught by the spontaneous unexpected revival of Sentinel A7!

What makes this unit so special? As noted in The Tape: Sentinel A7 previously appeared in X-Men #98, where it was blasted to smithereens by Cyclops after interrupting a Yuletide dinner date. Its unexpected return in Falcon #2 is a genius bit of shared-universe storytelling early in the career of Christopher Priest.

If this doesn't seem like the whole story - you're damn right it isn't!

The malfunctioning Sentinel takes Falcon to its long abandoned headquarters and places him in a glass holding tube. It doesn't take long for the dazed & nauseated hero to pull himself together and bust out -- setting up an exciting rematch!

We'll get a better impression of what Falcon can do when we come back for Round 2. Ideally I'd like to work my way through the entire four issue mini-series, which is all around a good time. I've just been especially eager to get to this issue.

Falcon doesn't have a particularly famous rogue's gallery, mostly sharing foes with his crime-fighting partner Captain America. To keep things fresh the mini-series tackles its subject by first mining Sam Wilson's personal circumstances to explore the character, and generate a new villain. Then it finds inventive ways to send him into conflict with other well known adversaries from the Marvel canon.

Reviving Sentinel A7 almost seven years after it was seemingly destroyed was a strange and unlikely masterstroke.

The unusual match-up gives the second issue an immediate hook, with a dramatic Paul Smith cover to lure you in, and Mark Bright interior art that really sells the scale of threat Falcon is up against!

Three different artists tackle cover duties for the series. They're all pretty good, but I daresay Smith's are the most famous. That first issue almost telegraphs the coming of Sentinels with a battle-damaged Falcon up against a wall looking like he could step into the Days of Future Past scene from Uncanny X-Men #141.

Falcon's no stranger to fighting overwhelming odds, but what would a Sentinel want with him? Six years before Dwayne McDuffie gave us Damage Control the issue answered what happens when giant killer robots break down in the city, but it also asked the question that launched a couple of decades of fan speculation.

History seems to have settled that Falcon isn't really a mutant, but for a while the possibility added an interesting wrinkle to his Dolittle-esque rapport with birds.

Mutant status might've led to other unique adventures had the 1983 mini-series launched more regular solo outings. In the end, it was probably simpler for the wingman to remain organic to the world of Cap, and human concern.

Falcon #2 ultimately plays it pretty ambiguously, any way. Sentinel A7 may be cosmetically repaired, presumably from other scrap sourced from the junkyard, but is clearly experiencing malfunction. It continues to operate as if no time has passed since its previous attack in 1976, even though that iteration of Sentinels had been decommissioned, and its headquarters is in obvious disrepair.

If you'd like to see what happens when the action continues you can check out the full mini-series collected in Avengers: Falcon. By using the Amazon purchase link provided you'll not only get yourself a good deal, you'll also be my wingman by getting Amazon to support the site at no extra cost to you!

You can find follow-up articles and more by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number! Just scroll down to Falcon to find any future updates, or explore the many other options available!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 characters! If you like superhero smackdown and want to support this independent corner of the web you can sign up to Patreon. As a thank you you'll receive access to additional updates, polls, and custom article options!

You can also follow and subscribe on Twitter or Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the trending topics of the day! Be sure to like and share posts while you're there, and tell me which ones are your favourites!

Winner: Sentinel A7
#188 (+412) Sentinel A7
#996 (-11) Falcon